South Africa’s top court dismissed a request by the family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu to overturn a lower court’s decision that he should be buried in his home country.

Lungu died in a hospital in Pretoria on June 5 and his family wanted to hold a private burial ceremony for him in South Africa and for Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema to be excluded from the proceedings. The Zambian government insisted he should have an official funeral at home.

The Pretoria High Court earlier this month concluded that Zambia is entitled to insist on a state funeral for the former president. The Constitutional Court on Tuesday upheld the decision.

After Hichilema defeated Lungu in 2021 elections, Zambian prosecutors pursued numerous cases against the former president’s political allies and family members. Lungu had previously said the authorities were preparing to arrest him.